'A video maker got swept away...': Did Aditya Dhar take a dig at Dhruv Rathee calling Dhurandhar ‘dangerous propaganda’?

COntent creator and political reviewer Dhruv Rathee lately stirred contention after releasing a picture criticising Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which is led by Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna. In the picture, Rathee accused the film of being a propaganda-driven vehicle that peddles lies and falsehoods. Now, it appears filmmaker Aditya Dhar has hit back at the criticism with a cryptic note.Aditya Dhar hits back indirectlyIt was on Saturday when Dhruv Rathee released a video slamming Dhar’s Dhurandhar, calling the film a “dangerous propaganda”. He had earlier taken to social media to call out the film for its excessive violence andWhile Aditya refrained from directly addressing Rathee’s remarks, his decision to reshare a note talking about “video maker who tried to criticise” the film seemed like a subtle, cryptic swipe at the YouTuber.The note which Dhar re-posted on his Instagram Stories read, “History is being rewritten in Indian cinema. By men & women who have fire in their hearts & love for their country. They wanted to tell a story to their country people. The best part of the boxoffice success of #Dhurandhar is that its organic.”“All those crying "corporate bookings" in the week of release have suddenly become silent now. A video maker tried to criticise it recently & got swept away by a wave of criticism against him. Dhurandhar is a craze today. A tsunami which will sweep away any other release in its path. A tsunami which will roll into 2026. It is not going to stop soon,” the note added.The note further stated, “A tsunami created by a young director from Delhi, @adityadharfilms and his team of actors & technicians. All united in vision & approach, positive in thought, passionate about storytelling and immense confidence in this director's work. @ranveersingh @actormaddy @rampal72 #AkshayeKhanna #EkMuthhiSauHaath… These names must be added today. They are equally vital. Each equally contributing to the success of #Dhurandhar @saraarjunn @therakeshbedi @gauravgera @danishpandor @manavgohil #JyotiDespande.”Dhruv, in the video, titled ‘Reality of Dhurandhar’, said, “Well-made propaganda is more dangerous. Films like The Taj Story and The Bengal Films were not dangerous, kyunki wo bakwaas films thi (because they were bad films). But Dhurandhar is an engaging film.”“The problem is that Dhurandhar repeatedly shows you it’s inspired by real events. It says so in the trailer. It shows the real footage from the 26/11 attacks. The real audio recordings of conversations between the terrorists and their handlers have been used. It also uses real-life gangsters and cops based in Pakistan’s Lyari,” he added, mentioning that setting the film in reality made it more believable than any other spy thrillers, such as Pathaan or Tiger films.In an interview with SCREEN, Naveen Kaushik, who plays Donga in the film, also spoke about Dhruv’s video. “He is an opinionated person. I am associated with the film, but I don’t agree with him, obviously. He got some views because of us, congratulations,” Naveen said.Dhurandhar wins big at box officeDhurandhar is making a strong impact at the box office, earning widespread acclaim for its powerful performances. Apart from Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, the spy action thriller also stars R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi.Dhurandhar has earned over ₹900 crore worldwide since its release on December 5. The second part of the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 19, 2026.